Wellbores may be drilled into a surface location or seabed for a variety of exploratory or extraction purposes. For example, a wellbore may be drilled to access fluids, such as liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, stored in subterranean formations and to extract the fluids from the formations. Wellbores used to produce or extract fluids may be lined with casing around the walls of the wellbore. A variety of drilling methods may be utilized depending partly on the characteristics of the formation through which the wellbore is drilled.
The wellbores may be drilled by a drilling system that drills through earthen material downward from the surface. Some wellbores are drilled vertically downward, and some wellbores have one or more curves in the wellbore to follow desirable geological formations, avoid problematic geological formations, or a combination of the two.
Conventional drilling systems are limited in how rapidly the wellbore can change direction. One of the largest limitations on the steerability of a drilling system is the length of the rigid downhole tools at the downhole end of the drilling system (i.e., near the drill bit). Some of the rigid components include turbomotors, mud motors, rotary steerable systems, and other components that provide energy to move or steer the drill bit.